Post-match comments from BBC:

I'm confident. I know we've seen great performances turn into shambles in just a week many times before, but I do believe we're on the right track now. And a win here won't get us out of trouble, but it'll at least give us some room to breathe.

7½ hours??? Christ, your rail system really is messed up Anyway, my team: Stead Bothroyd Djorkaeff Reid Ferguson Emerton McEveley Short Johansson Neill Friedel I'd like to see Thommo in midfield when he returns, doesn't really matter where. And perhaps Peers should be given a chance at RB. A narrow win for Rovers.

Apart from the first 10 minutes and right at the very end (Where we did defend quite well though) I thought we were excellent. Much better than pretty much any game this season. I thought McEveley looked a little short of confidence but still did well, unfortunately I don't think their equaliser will help his confidence. Bothroyd has excellent technique and looks pretty good in the air too, he should get more playing time. I do think we should try him and Stead, because while Dickovs workrate is magnificient, I think Stead and Jay together can match that, and Steads finishing is better. I must echo what everyone else said, Emerton was excellent (again)! One goal and one assist, and he played well throughout the game. Almost got a second assist from the corner where a Pool player (Garcia I think?) saved Short's header on the line. May not have the best technique or be the very fastest player (Although he IS fast) he just looks unstoppable while running at full speed with the ball at his feet. Our defence still didn't look as good as I'd like, but a hell of a lot better than the last two games. Tugays red card vs Boro wasn't his last this season, I'm quite sure of that. For the next game we should keep the same lineup, except for replacing Dickov with Stead. Although vs the better and more creative teams I'd prefer to have Reid in the centre with one of Pedersen, De Pedro, Jansen or Djorkaeff on the left.

IMO it should be: Friedel - Neill Todd Short Gray - Emerton Reid Ferguson Djorkaeff - Stead Dickov.

According to reports on here, Douglas was awful in central midfield vs BOURNEMOUTH. And now people want to play him there against Chelsea? My team: Friedel Neill Todd Short Gray Emerton Reid Ferguson Djorkaeff Dickov Jansen/Stead Or possibly play MGP/De Pedro on the left ofcourse, but I'd like to have a player with decent heading ability upfront too. De Pedros free kicks and corners could be a real asset, although IIRC Djorkaeff is a decent dead ball taker too, no?

I've only seen 2-3 scoring opportunities in the first half, Tugay's second yellow (He certainly deserved it) and Boro's goals... and what can I say? I'd rather have a defence with the half-fit Short and Todd, or even Bruce-Fitzgerald, than the two clowns Matteo and Amoruso playing there. I've always been of the opinion that Amorusos contribution to our general play outweighs his error proneness, but not anymore. Him and Matteo were basically at fault for ALL FOUR goals. It's true that Neill and Gray were the closest players for two of the goals (At least I think so) but they were where Matteo/Amo were SUPPOSED to be, covering for them. Todd isn't very skillful, but he doesn't make those huge mistakes very often that Amo seems to do 2-3 times per game. We MUST get a central defender and a midfield partner for Ferguson in January or we will be relegated. Last season we weren't much better off, but Tugay and Flitty were a year younger and could still do an OK job, not anymore though.

With Boro's goal being an "Own goal by the linesman", are you implying that the refs are on OUR side??? Surely that isn't possible? Or do the refs think that awarding penalties is BAD for us? Maybe we should straighten them out.. hmm.. 2-1, with goals from Djorkaeff and Dickov. Or we'll concede a late goal to make it 2-2.

Djorkaeff should play on the left, with Jansen upfront IMO. Djorkaeff can play in most attacking positions, while Jansen is a striker.

Canal + are showing the game tonight at 8:10 CET (7:10 GMT), and before that I'll be watching Soton-Man C, Everton-Spurs (Or Arsenal-Charlton) and WBA-Bolton. Really too much football... and then later on there's Chievo-Lecce and Norwich-Pompey. Christ... I won't have time for anything else! I'd advise anyone not living close enough to any Premiership grounds to somehow get C+, if you love football it's really, really great. Porn every day as well, if that's your thing Anyway, I probably won't be able to avoid the result but I will be avoiding the reviews from people on here so I can post my own later on.

Well Bowen has club experience, and Niedzwiecki (If he comes) has worked for a man who has done very well in the transfer market (Wenger). TP has seen many players come and go, and JW handles the business part of the transfers. So yes, he may be inexperienced in that department but he has experienced people around him who can help him with that. And surely he should be able to see what kind of player is needed just as well as an experienced club manager would?

It's not really whining though is it? Except maybe for T4E it's just speculation.

Players can base their decision on who the manager is. Let's say Wenger was to leave Arsenal and somehow end up at, say, newly promoted Wigan. Don't you think the name "Wenger" might persuade one or two big names who otherwise wouldn't consider a club they've never even heard of?

Wouldnt mind Earnshaw or Giggs or even Bellamy but please not Robbie Savage! I'd absolutely love Robbie Savage. Cracking little player who gets stuck in, doesn't get sent off, can take set pieces, and winds the opposition up no end. Yeah I like him a lot too. I think a central midfield with him and Fergie would be great.. Anyway.. aren't people reading a little too much into the betting odds? After all, many of the betters on betfair are people just like us, fans on a messageboard with no real clue who's getting the job.

Now that's an interesting name. However would he leave Crewe? I'm sure he must've gotten plenty of job offers during his time there, and yet he's still there. Maybe TOO loyal for us, eh?

That was DJ Ötzi I believe I doubt Rehhagel would even consider us though. Should be plenty of clubs interested in his services.

I didn't see very much and talk to very many people, so I may have been lucky Or maybe it was that I expected it to be REALLY REALLY bad after hearing what people had told me, so that the fact that it wasn't as bad as expected made it look much better? But we're getting a bit OT now

I know you probably weren't saying that, but putting it that way makes the point come across much clearer Just like there's a big difference between Lancashire (And yes, I've been there. Only once though, for the Leicester game last season. I'll go again if we have a looong run without home wins ) and London, there's a big difference between Stockholm and, say, Bjurträsk. Maybe all those years in Rome and London has changed SGE, but seeing where he grew up (Torsby, Värmland) and really started his coaching career (Here in Gothenburg) I don't think he'd find Lancashire bad at all. Can't say I know enough about Hitzfeld to say he's the same, but I'd suspect that the Ruhr area (And others) in Germany are quite similar to Lancashire. Oh btw, I've never been to Liverpool, but as they can attract players/manager, then so whould we (Ofcourse taking into account that our club doesn't enjoy the same reputation) seeing as it's not far away and, from what I've heard, certainly not the nicest of places. Obviously people are different, but I certainly don't go to a Swedish/typical N. European resturant if I'm abroad. Not that the food is bad, it's just that I'm not in Sweden. Some people enjoy the differences. My impression of Lancashire was that the people were really friendly, the surroundings were quite nice for the most part but that the cities, buildings etc were... let's just say that I've seen nicer Martin Dahlin has always been a bit of a ###### tho. EDIT: The "slagging off" part too; I know everyone sticks up for their own, but if we were to keep this football-related then there's certainly a difference in the attitude towards foreigners between Sweden and the UK. Some of it can ofcourse be attributed to the fact that our league isn't very good and that most foreigners who play here are among the better ones in their teams (You don't really buy someone from abroad to sit on the bench) but not all. If a foreigner fails to do well and is outside the team just picking up their paychecks, you don't automatically get the "lazy, useless foreign @#/?" comments that you would in the PL. You'd hear the same thing if it was a Swedish player, and that would be the above minus the "foreign" part. There's obviously more racism in other aspects of society, but that's best left to another thread as you say.

Sure, why wouldn't anyone in their right mind leave the reigning UEFA Cup champions with players like Ayala, Albelda, Baraja, Fiore, Vicente, Rufete, Aimar, Corradi, Mista, Cañizares and Di Vaio to go to sunny Lancashire and the mighty Rovers??? And after just a few months in charge too. Yeah the Arsenal directors were so incredibly stupid when appointing Wenger What were they thinking???? We all know that only the English can manage clubs well, just look at all the international trophies won by English managers!!! I really don't like when people here (Or on other predominantly British boards) slag off people simply for being foreign. Hitzfeld, who's had one of the hardest and most prestigious jobs in European football (Bayern München) for many years is obviously someone we don't want at Ewood, he's just a useless foreigner

Strachan is my #1 candidate. And Hitzfeld ofcourse, but there's no way he's coming. Dowie, Worthington and Megson would be OK too. Mark Hughes as well. I actually think Stan Turnip is a good manager, but as he's been at Burnley for so long it's not very likely at all Had it been another club, then he'd be on my list.

Wouldn't be a good idea for him to be in charge of either team on Saturday. And I'm not sure what to think really... Souness had a good first 3½ years here, the best since Kenny. But judging from last season, I think it could be a good thing to get some fresh blood in. But it all depends on who... if we get a good replacement, this was a good thing. If we don't (Venables.... Reid...) then it's the worst possible news.

That'll at least keep him motivated. And as long as he is motivated to perform well for us, I don't really care what the reason behind it is.

Won't believe it until it's signed and confirmed from both sides. We might lose some squad depth, but we're not losing much in terms of quality really. Probably means that Souness will try out one of the young promising strikers in the league cup. Possibly.

Yeah it wasn't his knee. Looked to be slightly above his ankle. And he played on for a few more minutes afterwards so I don't think it's serious. Maybe just a few days rest. Although he only played for 16 minutes or so, he was very invisible during that time

Yeah that was nice Was near his own touchline with a United player pressuring him. Did two on the foot and then kicked it up in the air and hit a sweet overhead kick. Can't really see Matteo doing that if he was in that situation